With his extensive experience performing vasectomy reversals, your surgeon Gurminder Mann can offer you the best chance of a successful result. Using microsurgical reconstruction of the vas deferens, Gurminder can achieve unbeatable success rates.
Successful outcome depends on many factors:
- The time since your vasectomy
- Using an operating microscope to perform the operation
- The age of your partner
- Sperm factors, both number and function, and antisperm antibodies
After vasectomy, the body can produce antibodies towards its own sperm. This cannot be predicted before vasectomy reversal. The antibodies do not kill the sperm but make it much less able to fertilise the egg.
Very occasionally, after initial success with good sperm counts following the vasectomy reversal, the site of reconnection can scar down and re-block the channel so that no sperm can get through. The risk is about 1 in 20 and can happen between 6 months and several years after the operation.
Gurminder will be able to discuss all of these in detail with you. The factors listed above are not within your control, but you can of course choose an expert to perform your operation. You need a surgeon who uses an operating microscope and who has plenty of experience of this intricate procedure.
If you are concerned about the results from the operation, perhaps because your vasectomy was performed a long time ago, then we will attempt to obtain some sperm from the epididymis or testicle at the time of the procedure. These sperms are examined and put immediately into cold storage (cryo-preservation), and can be used at a later date for IVF treatments such as ICSI is needed. The cost of this would be £650, which includes storage of the sperm for 3 years. If you are interested in sperm retrieval and storage during your operation, please see here for further information.